Neck garment



E. T. TOWLE March 8, 1949.

NECK GARMENT Filed Feb. 27, 1947 Patented Mar. 8, 1949 unirsi) srATEs PATENT OFFICE Claims.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in neck garments, and has particular relation to garments designed for protecting the neck zone oi the wearer under 10W temperature conditions, thus presenting some of the characteristics of a muiiier or a scarf.

Structures o1" this type are generally designed to provide a covering for the neck zone with the ends carried downward over the chest; where the muiiier form is used, the ends are generally held in position by the outer garment; Where the latter is buttoned, the ends are generally overlapped to close the front neck zone-Where the outer garment is left unbuttoned, the ends are simply tucked under the opposite sides oi the outer garment to hold the neck garment in position, thus leaving the front neck zone unprotected.

Various forms of neck garments have been proposed ith a View to permitting the outer garment to be omitted or to remain open and still protect the iront neck zone, but inasmuch as the ends are then exposed, it is difcult to retain the position oi the neck garment unless the ends are connected in some manner, thus bringing into question the appearance of the end zone of the neck garment. Various expedients have been tried to secure the result with an improved appearance, these including the idea of providing a loop on one end and passing the opposite end therethrough, thus tending to simulate the appearance of the usual necktie or bow knot, but the result has not been satisfactory due to the much greater Width and heavier body of the neck garment, as well, as the vdiiliculties of producing a garment which is neat and attractive in appearance when in position with the ends exposed.

The present invention is of the latter type, but

presents a number of advantages over those heretofore contemplated. For instance, the present invention permits either face of the garment to be utilized as the exposed face, with the appearance approximately similar; this provides for longer usage without cleaning. Again, the end Zones are practically anchored relatively to each other, and have generally similar appearance when in position, to produce a neat and attractive appearance, While retaining the advantage of having the garment in protecting position and with exposed ends, a condition especially useful Where free movement of hands is necessary, as Where a Workman desires the protection While engaged in outdoor labor, or by skaters and other outdoor sport enthusiasts Where heavy outer garments are not desirable.

The garment, vvhich has characteristics oi a scarf, is of a more or less special contour, is of the knitted type, readily fashioned, and presents a neat and attractive appearance in service.

With the above and other objects in vievx that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views,

Figure 1 is a plan view oi the garment scarf.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic schematic View of a longitudinal section of the garment through the neck Zone and the neighboring portions of the body and end.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the garment in service.

The garment of the present invention is in the form of an elongated scarl l0, of. suitable length, and knitted of soit fleecy yarn, with the knitting continuous from end to end but made according to a special pattern to provide a contour of a particular type together with a zone Which is of dual ply characteristics.

One end zone indicated at li-extending out- Ward from a neck Zone l2-is given a more or less fanciful contour-generally along curved lines-and is referred to as pear-shaped .f- Wing end; the contour can obviously be varied in knitting, and is given a pre-formed coniiguration since this end lies iat upon the chest zone oi the wearer and tends to produce a pleasing appearance when the scarf is in service.

The neck zone i2 is of reduced Width-thus aiding in providing the particular contour of the end l l. The Width of the neck zone is materially less than the width of the body portion I3 of the scarf. The neck zone is formedv oi two separate plies-indicated diagrammatically at lila in Figure 2-each of which is knitted integral with the adjacent body portion i3 and end Il, with each ply having the full length and Width of the neck zone, with the result that the two plies provide a loop eiTect between the end l I and body I3 with the axis of the loop extending transversely of the length dimension of the scarf. The loop isdesigned to permit the passage therethrough of the opposite end Zone of the scarf and to contain the Width of the body portionfadjacent such opposite end; due to the greater width of the body, positioning of the latter within the loop is by providing a transverse curvature to the body at such point with the curvature extending somewhat to such opposite end, with the result that the applied scarf tends to take on the appearance of the knot zone oi an ordinary hand-tied bow tie with the exposed ply simulating the exposed transverse member of the tie.

Such opposite end, indicated at lll, is also preferably shaped, but the contour differs from lthat of end il. In practice, one side o1 end ld forms a continuation of that side of the body, the opposite side of end lli extending at an angle so that end i4 tends to present a semi-tapered appearance when the scarf is laid flat. However, in applied position, such end tends to partake of the transversely curved neck-Zone of the body, thus changing the appearance of the angled side of end Ill to present, to an approaching eye, the appearance of a somewhat curved side, as indicated in Figure 3, and producing a somewhat curved appearance to the straight side of such end. Hence, the app-lied scarf tends to produce somewhat of a similarity in appearance between the two ends below the neck zone. This eect will be present regardless of which face of the scarf is the exposed face. In other words, regardless of which is the exposed face, both ends will appear as of pear-shaped contour. In addition, the exposed ply face is symmetrical to the direction of length of the applied scarf, regardless of which scarf face is exposed.

The ability to reverse the faces when applying the garment enables variations in the appearance of the exposed bow-tie Zone which over-lies the chest. If the reversal is made in the longitudinal direction, the angle of the exposed face of the loop in the direction of length of the garment is reversed, with a physical reversal of the wings therebelow but retaining the outer side as the outer side of the opposite position; if the garment reversal is in transverse direction, the angularity of the loop face remains as before but the wing sides change from outer to inner positions. As a result, it is possible to provide four different variations -in the appearance of this Zone, depending simply upon the direction in which the reversal of the opposite faces is made preliminary to applying the garment, thus permitting selective variations in appearance of this portion of the garment when in position, the remainder of the garment presenting the same exposure regardless of reversal, since such other portion is formed by the body of the garment, and is mostly hidden by the overlying garment when the latter is present.

The garment may be used as a substitute for the muffler generally, but is especially adapted for sportswear use, such as skiing, skating, horseback riding, boating, or any other activity during which the wearer constantly needs the use of both hands and especially under conditions where a top coat is not required, or when the conditions are such as to retain the latter unbuttoned if used.

bviously, the specific contours of the end Zones of the garment may be varied to some extent without loss of attractiveness in appearance, the pear-shaped effect being one of several which may be produced; hence the specific disclosure in the drawings and the above description are more or less illustrative of the possibilities. In each case, however, the neck Zone of duel ply formation, with the plies formed integral with the body and end Zone and with the exposed ply having its face dimensions similar to the areal dimensions of the neck zone, are deemed essential.

Such changes and modications are deemed to be within the spirit and scope of the invention, and I reserve the right to make any and all such changes or modications as may be found desirable or essential in meeting the exigencies of service and/or the individual desires of the user, insofar as the same may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims, when broadly construed.

I claim:

1. In garments for protecting the neck of the wearer, wherein the garment is removably secured about the neck with its end zones presenting the secured zone and having the free ends overlapping the chest of the wearer, a garment of such type comprising an elongated knitted body having shaped end Zones with one of such end zones including a neck knitted Zone of materially reduced width and a length less than the width of the body of the garment, said neck Zone being formed as a pair of individual plies each knitted integral with the body and end zones, said plies veach having the width of therneck zone and being in overlapping relation throughout such width of the neck zone to thereby provide a loop through which the opposite end Zone and the adjacent body portion is passed to place the garment in its applied position.

2. A garment as in claim l characterized in that the facial characteristics of the opposite faces are of similar type to thereby permit either race tobe the exposed face of the applied garment with the reversal varying the relative appearance of the end zone faces.

3. A garment as in claim 1 characterized in that the facial contour of one end zone of the unapplied garment differs from that of the opposite end zone with the appearance of one or such end zones varied by the positioning of such end zone through the loop formation in the applied position of the garment.

4. A garment as in claim 1 characterized in that the end zone adjacent the neck zone is of pearshape contour in both applied and unapplied positions of the garment, the opposite end zone contour in unapplied position presenting opposite side edges as of acute angle characteristic, with the appearance of such end Zone changed to an approximate pear-shape contour by the transverse curvature effects produced when passing such end zone with the adjacent body zone through the loop of the neck zone in applying the garment, the applied garment presenting the end Zones as pear shaped wings below the face of the exposed ply of the loop.

EDWARD T. TOWLE.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,880,001 Weinstein Sept. 27, 1932 2,050,170 Fortune Aug. 4, 1936 2,413,319 Goleri Dec. 31, 1946 

